The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has denied it will ban political satire at a Chulalongkorn-Thammasat football match set for next Friday, following media reports the main feature of the event could be censored or even banned.
NCPO spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree said organisers of the annual football match from both institutions have promised authorities to keep the political satire within bounds to prevent it being exploited to stir up political tension or disorder.
He insisted the NCPO has not issued any order or threatened to impose a ban.
Political satire is the highlight of the traditional football match between Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities. Students make fun of politics in the form of floats, banners and flash-card displays.
Last year's event proceeded with some glitches when authorities shut a gate at the National Stadium to prevent the Thammasat parade from entering the ground, deeming many banners politically sensitive.
On Wednesday, six soldiers attended a meeting with event organisers at the Thammasat Rangsit campus in Pathum Thani and asked them to keep politics out of this year's procession and card displays, Matichon Online reported, quoting a TU student who refused to be named.
They left the campus after the meeting which ended with the students standing their ground, it added.
However, the talks were amicable because the soldiers did not force them to ban political activities, said the student, who refused to reveal what spectators could expect next week.
Theppong Thipayachan, who commands the 1st Army Region, insisted the NCPO was not trying to block political commentary but hoped the students would behave in line with the reform efforts carried out by the council and the government.
The colourful parade that precedes the nationally televised annual match between Thammasat and Chulalongkorn universities will be allowed to go ahead as usual, he said.